Electric clock.



No. 731,621. PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903. 0. ROMANZE.

ELECTRIC GLOGK.

APPLICATION FILED 002.16, 1902.

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No. 781,621. PATENTED'JUNE 23, 1903. 0. ROMANZE. ELEGTRIG CLOCK.

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 16, 1902.

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UNITED STATES Patented June 23, 1903. PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO ROMANZE, OF ENFlELD, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF 'lWVO-THIRDS TO FREDERICKSTEPHEN ELLIOTT, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 731,621, dated June 21903- Application filed October 16,1902. Serial No. 127,498. (No model.)

To rtZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO ROMANZE, a subject of the German Emperor,residing at 52 Kynaston road, Enfield, England, have in vented certainnew and useful Improvements in Electrical Clocks, (for which I appliedfor British Letters Patent on the 14th of May, 1902, No. 11,101) ofwhich the following is a specification.

In the description of this invention reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of one form ofthe improved electric clock, the front frame-plate being removed. Fig. 2is a plan of the clock. Fig. 3 is a plan of the commutators, brushes,and terminals. Fig. leis an end view of the terminals shown in Fig. 3.Fig. 5 is a transverse section through a commutator and escapement-axle,and Fig. 6 is aplan of Fig. 5. Figs. 5 and 6 are to an enlarged scale.

In the drawings, Figs. 1 to 6, o represents the plates of theclock-frame, which are kept apart by suitable distance-studs (not shown)in a manner well known. 1) indicates two coils wound with fine wire uponsuitable bob bins, each having a connected wire core to form anelectromagnet, which when excited by an electric current from thebattery 0 through the wire connection I) attracts the iron armature d,pivoted at d, against the pull of an adjustable spring e. The armaturein thus moving by magnetic attraction also carries with it two clicks orspringpressed pawlsfand 'g in its movement, which pawls are pivoted to abrass armature-lever 7b, which is screwed to the soft-iron armature (Z,therefore moving with it. Then thevarmature is attracted by theelectromagnet, the pawl f slips over one tooth of the ratchetwheel fwithout moving the latter; but the pawl g is pulled downward and turnsthe ratchet-wheel g (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) the distance ofone tooth, a pawl 1 attached to the winding-barrel g holding it in itsgained position. The current being interrupted,as described hereinafter,the spring e asserts its action by pulling the lever h and its attachedarmature (Z upward. In doing so the pawl facts upon the ratchet-wheel fto turn it one tooth, a detaining-pawlf holding it in its gainedposition. Simultaneously the pawl g has raised a tooth ready for thenext stroke when the current energizes the electromagnetb.Consequentlyateach stroke of the armature and lever 71, caused by themaking of the current-circuit and magnetic pull upon armature d againstthe spring e on the one hand and the breaking of the circuit and returnpull by the spring 6 on the other hand, the spring box or barrel towhich the ratchet g is attached is wound up a tooth, and then the springbox or barrel actuated by the ratchet-wheelf is wound up a tooth and therespective pawlsg and f replaced in position ready for the next stroke.The springbarrel f actuates the time-keeping part of the mechanism,while the spring-barrel g actuates the electric transmitting portion ofthe mechanism; but it will be obvious that the relative action of thewinding-up operation described above may be reversed without affectingthe nature of the inventionas, for example, the position of theelectromagnet b and spring e may be placed on opposite sides to thoseshown in Fig. 1, in which case the terms would be altered accordingly.The movement of the armature (l and its attached lever h is limited byan adjustable stop-screw (1 held in place by a set-screw d both actingin a bar d which is placed across the frame and forms a nut for the twoscrews. The pull of the spring 6 is also made adjustable by a milled nute, turning upon a small square rod 6 screwed upon its corners andterminating in a hook, to which one end of the spring 6 is attached. Therod 6 passes through a similarly-formed hole in a bracketpiece e securedto one of the side frames. The lower end of the spring e is attached toanother hook, secured to the lever h, as shown in Fig. l.

The clock is worked by a pendulum (not shown) and escapement acting on awheel 11 in the ordinary manner. The axle of the escapement-wheel i iscut away at two adjoining places t" and t about one-half the diameterbeing removed at each place almost diametrically opposite each other, asshown in Figs. 5 and 6, but with a sufficient web between the two formaintaining the strength of the axle. A commutator-axle 7' is mounted inhearings in the frame-plates a parallel with and a short distance fromthe axle of the escapement-wheel L, and on this axle are mounted twocommutators j and 7", both insulated from the axle and each other. Twowire arms 7' and j are secured to the axle j. One of these arms, j isplaced or bent slightly in advance of the other to suit the angle of thecut-away portions of the escapementwheel axle 71, and both are filedshort enough to just clear when in the radial position, as indicated inFig. 5, the arm 7' being opposite the cut-away space t" and the arm 7'opposite the space 11 The escapement-axle i being turned slowly by thespring-barrel f and the commutator-axle j by the spring-barrel and wheel9 acting on the pinion j, the advance arm 9' first comes in contact withthe round part of the axle t' and is held there until liberated throughthe space 1". The axle j thus turns in its hearings to a slight degree,but is immediately stopped by arm j also coming in contact with wheel '5until the space '21 is turned to the radial position, when arm beingliberated the axlej flies around, but is again arrested at aboutone-half its revolution by the pin 7a (also secured to shaft j) engagingwith the edge of a projection 7t, formed on the side of thearmature-lever h. This action insures the flow of the current throughthe brushes, comm utators, and coils b (as more fully explained after)until the electromagnet has been energized and attracted the pivotediron armature dagainst the pull of the spring 9 and with it the lever h.This li berates the arm from the projection h, and the commutator-axle jcontinues its revolution until the advance arm jis again in contact withthe round part of the axle 2'. Assuming the armature-axle 2' to make onecomplete revolution per minute, the commutator-axlej will do the same,and thus the electric circuit is made and broken and spring-barrels fand g wound up a tooth once per minute. The electric terminal brushes Z,Z, V, and Z rest on the commutatorsj andj and when the axle j is turnedas s own in Figs. 2, 5, and 6 the circuit is broken by the insulatingspace or substance 'm, (also indicated by close lines,) on which thebrushes land Z rest upon the solid metal part of the respectivecommu'tatorsj and 7' so that when the axlej is turned to the positionshown in Fig. 3 the current passes through the brushes ll andcommutatorj to the distant clock or clocks in that part of the circuit,while it simultaneously acts upon the electromagnet b and armature (1through the brushes Z 1 commutators j connection Z), and the frame ofthe clock. The brushes Z and Z may be omitted, owing to the frameconnection; but they help to insure the making of the circuit. In thiscase the operation is such that an appreciable time is given by themechanism to enable the electromagnet b to be fully energized, and thusto perform its functions. When this has taken place, the circuit isbroken quickly and effectively, while the commutators and brushes arekept clean and in good condition to perform their function.

It is to be understood that more than two commutators may be placed onthe same axle if the number of clocks to be regulated in the circuitexceed about thirty, a commutator being added for each thirty clocksunder the control of each clock, as hereinbefore specitied.

What I claim, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric clock, the combination of electriccircuit connectionswith an electric magnet, a pivoted armature and lever acting against aspring, two spring-barrels each having a ratchet-wheel, operatedalternately by the rocking motion of the armature-lever and pivotedpawls to wind up the electric transmitting and time-keeping barrels, andmeans controlled by the turning of the escapementwheel axle to make andbreak the electric cir-- cuit, substantially as and for the purposeherein described and shown.

2. In an electric clock, the combination of an escapemenawheel axlehaving two spaces thereon, a revolnble axle having comm utators thereonarranged parallel with and a short distance from the escapement-axle,two arms secured to the commutator-axle so arranged and proportioned asto rest successively on the round part of the escapement-axle but passfreely through said spaces when turned toward the arms, andelectric-circuit connections for making and breaking the circuit,substantially as and for the purpose here n described and shown.

3. In an electric clock, the combination of an electromagnet b havingelectriccircuit connections, a pivoted armature-lever h having aprojection h, a rotatable commutatoraxlej, and a pin 7r. secured to theaxlej, adapted to come in contact with the projection 7L and hold theaxlej until the electromagnet is fully energized, substantially as andfor the purpose herein described and shown.

4:. In an electric clock, the combination of an escapement-axle 2'having spaces 2", i therein, a commutator-axlej having commutators j,jarmsjij and pin 70 thereon, an armature-lever it having a projection h,and cooperating electric-circuit devices, substantially as and for thepurpose herein described and shown.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscrib- YVitnesses:

EMILY BALHARRY, HENRY J. BRooKwELL.

IOL'

